


Slipping the Leash

by junko



Series: 'Tails' of Zabimaru [13]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-13
Updated: 2012-08-13
Packaged: 2017-11-12 01:45:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/485276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/pseuds/junko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Byakuya insults Renji at Rukia's welcoming party, Renji loses his temper, but, perhaps, gains something more...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Slipping the Leash

“Rukia,” Byakuya’s deep voice was full of warning. “Your puppy has a collar, but he seems to have slipped his leash. Tell him that if he touches you or your zanpaktō again, I’ll see him whipped.”

Renji shot to his feet. His ears rang with a sound like the hissing rattle of a snake’s tail. Somewhere, far away, Renji could feel Rukia hanging on his arm, holding him back. All around him people shouted his name, telling him no, screaming at him to stop. 

But, before he could close a fist around any part of Byakuya, Renji felt a cool, slim finger slide up under the cloth on his neck. 

Renji froze. He stopped cold, though his entire body vibrated with emotion, reistsu.

“Sit,” Byakuya said coldly. Renji could only see the top of Byakuya’s head, as the captain refused to look up to meet Renji’s eyes. “Stay. Or the collar goes, pup.”

In his empty hand, Renji felt his fingers closing around the phantom sensation of a hilt. He heard the ghostly song of steel drawn, and the image of a lightning strike guard filled his mind. The familiar heft and weight of a sword filled his hand, and another’s powerful energy surrounded him, filling him to the core.

Renji leaned in closer, his lips dipping to Byakuya’s ear, as he whispered, “Go ahead. Try it. We’ll have our teeth in your throat before they haul us away.”

“Us?” Byakuya repeated his eyes on something, and his left hand dropped to his own sword.

Ukitake’s fingers closed slowly around Byakuya’s wrist. His other palm pushed against Renji lightly, encouraging him to step back slightly. “Stand down, Captain Kuchiki,” Ukitake said, his voice like his touch--careful but firm. “Let the boy go. He’s unarmed. And my guest.”

“Unarmed?” Byakuya asked, his voice controlled, though it held a trace of confusion. “Are you so certain?”

“My, my,” came another voice, sounding strangely jolly given the situation. “You definitely know how to make an entrance, Mr. Byakuya. But, it’s too early in the party for a fight. We all should have had a lot more to drink first.”

Renji could see that Byakuya was now flanked by two captains: Ukitake and Kyōraku. Kyōraku was holding lightly onto his hat and smiling disarmingly, but Renji could see that that his relaxed pose was a ruse; he was ready to intercede swiftly.

“Nii-sama, please,” Rukia said, she was still clutching Renji’s other arm, “We were just talking. Renji’s my friend. This is supposed to be a celebration.”

She left off ‘for me,’ but the implication was clear. At her words, Renji could sense a shift in Byakuya. He was still wary of Renji, but his stance relaxed slightly. With the tension of the situation draining, Renji felt the other’s presence leaving him, sliding away. 

Byakuya’s finger dropped from Renji’s throat. “And now it vanishes?” Byakuya asked no one in particular. Stepping back, so he could look Renji in the eye without having to raise his head, Byakuya asked, “Where is your zanpaktō, boy? The one you promised to slit my throat with.”

“Renji! You didn't!” Rukia breathed, horrified.

Renji just clenched his teeth, and tried to calm his breathing. 

“Byakuya, be reasonable,” Ukitake said, turning slightly to both address Byakuya and slightly shield Renji should the situation change suddenly. “The boy is plainly an Academy student and a guest to the Seireitei, he has no—“

Kaien interrupted with an embarrassed cough and a glance at Rukia before he said, “I’m sorry, Ukitake-Taicho, but I saw it, too. Steel was drawn.”

Other people on Renji’s right side were nodding and making agreeing noises. Ukitake drew his dark eyebrows together, “But, that’s not possible.” He turned to face Renji, inspecting him. “How could you have snuck a weapon across the gate, Renji? And why? To what end? Even you couldn’t be foolish enough to draw on a captain intentionally.”

Kyōraku, meanwhile, was studying Renji carefully. His voice was quiet, thoughtful as he said, looking directly into Renji’s eyes, “Intent or instinct?”

Renji found he had to look away. His palms itched with the remembered sensation of a hilt, but it had been imaginary, hadn’t it?

“And where is it now?” Ukitake was continuing. He turned to his lieutenant. “You can’t hide something like a full-sized naked zanpaktō so quickly and so completely.”

Kaien nodded, “I know. It makes no sense. But, from what I saw, sir, it just… disappeared--right out of his hand, like it was never there.”

“Oh, Renji,” Ukitake said, turning back to Renji with a shake of his head. “You’d better not be hiding some new zanpaktō power, because drawing on a captain is a serious offense. Made ten times worse by the fact you’re not even a shinigami, but a guest.”

“I think you may be jumping the gun a bit, Jūshiro,” Kyōraku said softly. “There is still a mystery here. Let’s figure things out first. Perhaps we could retire to your office--”

“No,” Byakuya’s voice cut through the discussion like a knife. “Remove him from the Seireitei.”

“But, Mr. Byakuya—“ Kyōraku started.

“If there is any doubt he’s armed, he must be removed,” Byakuya said simply, succinctly. “It’s the law.” When Ukitake started to open his mouth, Byakuya cut him off, as well, “I _could_ insist on manacles. It is my right.”

#

Kyrōaku offered to accompany Renji to the gate. They were trailed, at Byakuya’s insistence, by two other shinigami—Kaien and his wife—who volunteered. Rukia had wanted to come along as well, but Renji felt bad enough for ruining her party; he told her flat out he was too embarrassed to have her along and she should stay and try to salvage the remains of her party.

She’d given her brother a hard look and muttered, “You didn’t start it.”

“Maybe not,” Renji had admitted, “But I did try to finish it.”

Kyrōaku was shaking his head sadly as they walked through the streets. “Not exactly what we had planning as a welcome for dear, Ms. Rukia, was it? I’m not entirely sure who invited her brother, though Jūshiro does tend to expect people to be better behaved than they often prove to be.”

“With all due respect, sir,” Renji said. “It’s like I told Rukia. Captain Kuchiki might have insulted me, but I should have just taken it. I let my temper get the better of me.”

“Your temper and something else perhaps as well, eh?” Kyōraku glanced over his shoulder at where Kaien and Miyako kept pace a few feet behind them. “Your Zabimaru isn’t very patient at all, is he?”

Renji frowned, remembering the sound of a snake’s rattle. “I don’t know,” he said honestly. “I have no idea what happened. I never saw what everyone else said they did, but I… well, I can’t exactly deny it either.”

“I noticed you didn’t protest the accusations. You think Zabimaru was there, too?”

Renji nodded slowly. “I get the feeling that if Captain Kuchiki had drawn his sword, I would have countered with one of my own. Though where the hell it would have come from, I have no idea.”

Kyōraku nodded seriously at that, but then laughed brightly. “Ah, Mr. Renji, my boy, you amuse me with your confidence. Not a lot of people would claim they could counter a strike from Mr. Byakuya. Especially no one still in Academy.”

“Oh. Right,” Renji said. They were coming to the gate. Renji could see the giant sentry from where they were. "I guess what I meant was that Zabimaru would have been there for me, to meet steel with steel.”

“Yes, perhaps he would have,” Kyōraku mused. “What are your plans for the rest of the weekend, Mr. Renji, now that your visit has been cut short?”

Renji sighed. “I don’t know. Sulk around campus?”

“I thought as much. Pack a bag; I’m taking you to my family’s estate. We can sip sake on the riverbank and talk more about your intriguing, impatient friend.”

“Uh,” Renji wasn’t sure about this, especially given how much he already owed Kyōraku, but it did sound a whole hell of a lot better than moping around all weekend feeling angry and sorry for himself, “Okay, sure.”

“Great, it’s a date,” Kyōraku said. “I’ll inform my brother of our arrival and pick you up tonight. Your uniform will be appropriate dress for dinner, so don’t worry about that. I’m looking forward to it.”

Renji wasn’t so sure, but he agreed, “Yeah, uh, me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> This ability of Renji's to pull Zabimaru out of nowhere is partially inspired by the non-canon filer arc "Zanpaktou Rebellion." I am going to make a case in some of the later installments, that he might not be the only one who can do it. 
> 
> However, I CHEERED out loud (probably scaring the neighbors) when I watched that scene because I totally believe that if anyone is ALWAYS carrying a part of their zanpaktou inside themselves, it's Renji.
> 
> EDITED to fix Rukia calling Byakuya "oni-chan" to "nii-sama." Even though this has been up for years, I only just re-read it and that bothered me deeply. Had. To. Change.


End file.
